Inner-city policing: Officers’ perceptions and practices within paramilitary units

• In Event: Examining Race and Situational Context in Officer-Involved Killings

Abstract

The use of paramilitary policing has risen since the 1990s (Balko, 2013), yet not much is known about how these units operate within inner-city neighborhoods. A large bulk of police research has centered on people's experiences with the police, but has often overlooked policing practices and experiences of officers within special units. This paucity in the literature is due to the secrecy and limited availability of police organizations to allow access to officers as research subjects. Over n=100 hours of ethnographic research and ride ride-alongs were conducted with officers from gang and tactical units in the City of Chicago. The results suggest that officers justified aggressive policing due to a number of factors; for example, a campaign to combat drugs and gangs. Policy implications will be discussed.

Author

• Claudio Gabriel Vera Sanchez, Roosevelt University